Old Friends
by Apesshipper
Summary: When a Marine captain is kidnapped, only old JAG friends can set it right. Mac/Harm, Gunny/Other, Meg/Other
1. MegHarm

Lizzie Farrow is April's own creation; everyone else belongs to DPB and JAGPTB.  
  
Old Friends By April & Jessi  
  
Meg Austin looked around. So many faces had changed, but it had been seven years since she'd been back in Washington. It had even been four years since she'd talked to Harm. She needed his help on this; he was the only one she trusted to help her. She found his office and knocked on the open doorway. Harm looked up from his substantial pile of paperwork and his brow furrowed. "Meg?" He blinked. "What are you doing here? I.It's been awhile." His brow smoothed and his face melted into an easy smile. "Come in."  
She came in and sat down, running her hand through her short blonde hair. "I know. I'm sorry. I should have called. It just seemed every time you did, I wasn't home and every time I did, you weren't." She smiled slightly. "How are you? How's Mac?"  
"I'm doing fine and Mac.well, Mac is Mac." He grinned. "Don't worry about the short notice. The excitement of Navy life is what I live for. What fun would it be if I always knew who's be walking through that door?" Motioning toward her, he asked, "So what about you? How have you been?"  
"Good. Really good, actually." She paused, unsure how he would react. "Harm.when I left, I wasn't exactly honest with you."  
His brow furrowed again. "How so?" He asked, though he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Her cryptic admission had caused a small knot to form in the pit of his stomach.  
"I did go to Italy, but not for JAG." She paused, got up, and closed the door before returning to her seat. "I'm in the CIA. I have been for the last seven years. I know how you reacted when I was shot and.I just wasn't sure how you'd react if I told you the truth."  
He opened his mouth to reply twice and each time nothing came out. Meg in the CIA? He was blown away. "I don't know what to say, Meg." He shook his head slightly as if to clear the fuzz from his brain and then went on. "You were probably right not to tell me though. It bothers me that you felt you couldn't, but I honestly can't say how I would've reacted back then."  
She nodded. "And now?"  
"Now.now, I would have to say that I don't have a very high opinion for all CIA officials and that how I react to your news will greatly depend on what it is you want from me. I'll help you if I can, Meg, but I'm not promising anything until I know what's brought you back here after all these years."  
"I do need help." She paused. "Between Webb being hurt and my taking over for him, I lost an agent, a Marine captain, daughter of a Marine colonel. Harm, I can't leave her down there. I've got three on my team already, the second best pilot I know, a Marine, and myself."  
"And you want me?" His eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Meg, this isn't something I can just decide to do or not do. I have orders.you'd have to clear it with the Admiral before I could even consider saying yes."  
"Already done. He said that it was up to you."  
"Oh," Harm looked a bit stunned. "Well, in that case.I guess it's an offer I can't refuse. I did say that I was in the Navy for the excitement, right? How soon will we leave?"  
"We meet the pilot in half an hour."  
He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Ah," he laughed, "I missed you, Meg."  
She grinned. "I missed you too, Harm." She paused. "You need to tell Mac where you're going?"  
Harm sighed, knowing that this would not be a pleasant conversation. "Yeah, you might want to tell me where to meet you because this may take awhile. She was on her way out earlier, I only hope I can catch her before she leaves." 


	2. JohnMac

Thanks to Jessi for doing Harm during parts 1 & 3. Lizzie Farrow is April's own creation; everyone else belongs to DPB and JAGPTB.  
  
Old Friends  
  
Meg Austin looked around. So many faces had changed, but it had been seven years since she'd been back in Washington. It had even been four years since she'd talked to Harm. She needed his help on this; he was the only one she trusted to help her. She found his office and knocked on the open doorway. Harm looked up from his substantial pile of paperwork and his brow furrowed. "Meg?" He blinked. "What are you doing here? I…It's been awhile." His brow smoothed and his face melted into an easy smile. "Come in."  
She came in and sat down, running her hand through her short blonde hair. "I know. I'm sorry. I should have called. It just seemed every time you did, I wasn't home and every time I did, you weren't." She smiled slightly. "How are you? How's Mac?"  
"I'm doing fine and Mac…well, Mac is Mac." He grinned. "Don't worry about the short notice. The excitement of Navy life is what I live for. What fun would it be if I always knew who'd be walking through that door?" Motioning toward her, he asked, "So what about you? How have you been?"  
"Good. Really good, actually." She paused, unsure how he would react. "Harm…when I left, I wasn't exactly honest with you."  
His brow furrowed again. "How so?" He asked, though he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Her cryptic admission had caused a small knot to form in the pit of his stomach.  
"I did go to Italy, but not for JAG." She paused, got up, and closed the door before returning to her seat. "I'm in the CIA. I have been for the last seven years. I know how you reacted when I was shot and…I just wasn't sure how you'd react if I told you the truth."  
He opened his mouth to reply twice and each time nothing came out. Meg in the CIA? He was blown away. "I don't know what to say, Meg…" He shook his head slightly as if to clear the fuzz from his brain and then went on. "You were probably right not to tell me though. It bothers me that you felt you couldn't, but I honestly can't say how I would've reacted back then."  
She nodded. "And now?"  
"Now…now, I would have to say that I don't have a very high opinion for all CIA officials and that how I react to your news will greatly depend on what it is you want from me. I'll help you if I can, Meg, but I'm not promising anything until I know what's brought you back here after all these years."  
"I do need help." She paused. "Between Webb being hurt and my taking over for him, I lost an agent, a Marine captain, daughter of a Marine colonel. Harm, I can't leave her down there. I've got three on my team already, one of the two best pilots I know, a Marine, and myself."  
"And you want me?" His eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Meg, this isn't something I can just decide to do or not do. I have orders…you'd have to clear it with the Admiral before I could even consider saying yes."  
"Already done. He said that it was up to you."  
"Oh," Harm looked a bit stunned. "Well, in that case…I guess it's an offer I can't refuse. I did say that I was in the Navy for the excitement, right? How soon will we leave?"  
"We meet the pilot in half an hour."  
He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Ah," he laughed, "I missed you, Meg."  
She grinned. "I missed you too, Harm." She paused. "You need to tell Mac where you're going?"  
Harm sighed, knowing that this would not be a pleasant conversation. "Yeah, you might want to tell me where to meet you because this may take awhile. She was on her way out earlier, I only hope I can catch her before she leaves." *****  
  
John Farrow paced in his living room. It was funny: he'd bought this big house because he'd always wanted Lizzie to come home, he'd always wanted grandchildren. He wanted room to be himself, not some carbon copy of what anyone, his commanding officers or the press, thought a Marine should be. Now the house seemed too busy, echoing, hollow. Lizzie's room had been empty for two years, but today it was as if the ghost of her childhood was there, which was ridiculous because he hadn't lived there when she was little. He was the one to blame for her being a Marine; with her mother dead, it was what he'd raised her as, another one of his men, to be protected as well as he could, but also to follow orders. He loved his only daughter, but he had never really understood her. He almost smiled as he thought of Mac's words each time he told her that. She always replied that he should have understood Lizzie better, she was a carbon copy of himself. He personally thought she was more like Mac, the closest thing to a mother she'd ever had. He'd called that morning, asking her to come to Quantico, and he'd left orders at the base for her to come there. Work had saved him after Lilian's death and then again each time Mac left his life, but he couldn't work now. He was old and suddenly he was very tired. He wanted to look for Lizzie and, after he found her, he would retire. Where was Mac? He needed her. She had always managed to take care of Lizzie, take care of everything. Sarah MacKenzie stood in front of John Farrow's front door, one hand raised to knock; however, she couldn't quite bring herself to move her arm in the forward and back motion that would signal her arrival. She had no idea what he could possibly want with her after all this time and she felt more than just a little guilty for ducking out without telling Harm where she was going. She reasoned that she would never know what John wanted until she talked to him though and, against her better judgment, she knocked two sharp raps on the door. He opened the door, unable to believe that she was really there. "Come in. Thanks for coming. I hope it didn't cause problems." He knew Chegwidden had finally forgiven her for the affair, but he didn't know about Harm. He was glad to see that at least the commander had kept his promise and taken care of Mac for him.  
Mac stepped inside, glancing around quickly at the interior of his home. In all the time they'd been...together, she'd never seen his house. They'd always met places and gone away together. Even his daughter had gone away with them from time to time. She wondered how Lizzie was these days. "It was no trouble at all," she managed. "Though I must say I'm intrigued...why did you call after all this time? It sounded important over the phone." She looked at him expectantly.  
His voice faltered as he spoke and he sounded and looked his age. "When's the last time you spoke to Lizzie?"  
She was a bit thrown since she had just been thinking of his daughter and she was the last person Mac had expected him to ask about. "Uh...a few months ago, I guess. I got a birthday card from her and I called to thank her. She wasn't in, but I was touched that she still thinks of me. Why?"  
In other circumstances, he would have smiled. It sounded like Lizzie. Mac hung the moon as far as she was concerned and, as a female Marine officer, she wanted to be just like her, except for a few minor details. "She decided she'd had enough sitting around bases. I had almost convinced her to go to law school too, anywhere out of the line of fire. Then 9/11...I couldn't stop her. You know how she got. She had an idea in her head and she just went with it." His voice was shaking again. "She put her RECON skills to work and joined the CIA."  
Mac's eyes widened. That Lizzie had come up with the idea didn't surprise her as much as that she had followed through with it. John could be pretty convincing when he didn't want something to go a certain way, although if Lizzie had gotten half of her father's skills of persuasion then she was probably pretty tough to dissuade herself. Dreading the answer, Mac asked, "What happened?"  
"She met a man in Afghanistan, a gunnery sergeant. After she swore up and down that she'd never get involved in fraternization...she ended up in Paraguay with him. He's in the CIA too. The last thing I heard from her, she was resting, after finishing a mission," Being damned near killed was more like it, "and he was starting one, with this idiot Webb." He paused; the next part was the hardest. "I got the phone call last night. I...I didn't want Chegwidden to tell you."  
"Webb...Paraguay? I...I was just in Paraguay working with Webb...that's how he got hurt." She paled. "John...what's happened to Lizzie?"  
"The official line is missing in action, believed killed." He shook his head. "She was hurt pretty bad a few months ago, probably about the time she sent the card. Webb left her in there. If I had let one of my men in the field in her condition, I would have been court-martialed again. I don't know how this new director works, but you know the CIA. Not only do they leave you behind, you never existed." He paused. "I don't care if she's twenty-eight years old or a captain in the Marine corps...she's still my little girl." He looked at her. "I'm going down there and I'm going to bring her home."  
"And you want me to go with you?" It wasn't really a question, to him or to her. Aside from Chloe, Lizzie was the closest thing to a daughter or sister that Mac had. Nothing and no one would keep her from helping to bring that girl home. "I need to clear it with Admiral Chegwidden and I," she hesitated, "I need to tell Harm."  
"Tell Chegwidden you're preventing his client from another court- martial." It was obvious that he meant what he said. If he were left to his own devices, the men that had his daughter and very possibly her boyfriend and the director would be damaged. 


	3. KeeterGunny

Meg rode in the passenger seat of Harm's corvette, having waited for him. "It's what I miss most. I do get to see Mom whenever I like and Ollie almost all the time, but I miss my car." She said, only half- serious. "Here. Turn off here." She showed him to an almost-empty airfield on the outskirts of Washington. "There he is."  
Harm squinted at Keeter's tall form as he pulled his vette to a stop on the smooth surface of the tarmac. "Yep...there he is," Harm agreed. Glancing at Meg, he took a deep breath and swung open the car door.  
She was already out and over to Keeter before he got there. "You got him." Keeter said, having no doubt she was capable of it. "Hey, buddy."  
"Hey." Harm stuck out his hand and took Keeter's in a firm grasp, "So you ready to go play search and rescue in South America?" Meg hadn't given him specifics, but he knew where he was going and the gist of why. At least he was part of a good team though he still hadn't met this Marine that was joining them at some point in the future.  
"Always." He smiled, but more at Meg.  
Harm eyed the two and opened his mouth to inquire into just how well the two of them knew each other, but was interrupted by the arrival of a small plane coming in for a landing. He grinned. "Let me guess...our ride?"  
"I know it's been awhile since you flew anything, but it'll get us there and back." He looked at Meg. "Galindez called. He'll meet us at the airport." She nodded.  
"Your Marine is Galindez?" Harm stammered. "Victor Galindez?"  
Meg nodded. "Yeah. He worked with the Marine and with Webb. He's been down there awhile, should make up for us not knowing the land well."  
"Great," Harm nodded. "Gunny is a good man, knows what he's doing. If he's our guide, we'll be in good hands." After a second's pause, "I'm ready when you two are." Following Meg's lead, the two men began to lift luggage and equipment from the vehicles. When all three were loaded down with bags, boxes, and duffel bags, they began their long trek across the hot tarmac. "You know," Harm commented, "Mac's gonna kill me when she finds out that this mission involves flying."  
Meg smiled. "Well, what do you expect? I'm surprised you've flown anything in the last two years."  
Harm turned surprised eyes toward Meg. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"It means that your accident two years ago was on ZNN and everything else. You didn't think I knew about it?"  
Flustered, Harm looked away and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "One mistake and I'll never live it down." He sighed, "It wasn't my fault, ya know? Mechanical failure. Could've happened to anyone." He looked back at her and grinned.  
She rolled her eyes, but grinned back at him. "You know, you have a much nicer partner than I ever was. You would have never been back in a Tomcat after that one." She teased.  
"Yeah, well. Mac doesn't necessarily relish the idea of me climbing into a cockpit again, but she knows that it's a part of me. Plus I think she finds the danger attractive." Harm winked. "Don't tell her I said that though," he laughed, "she'd kill me. And she'd never admit it anyay."  
Meg smiled, even more secretively. "Oh, I was supposed to tell you." Keeter said, breaking the conversation a little, "Galindez said that the Colonel is coming down to investigate too."  
"Great. Just what we need." Meg said sarcastically.  
"Mac's coming?" Harm looked confused, then hurt. "She didn't mention anything to me before she left this morning." He and Mac usually told each other everything, well almost anyway. Of course, if he was honest with himself, he couldn't blame her. He hadn't been exactly honest about what he was doing on this mission either in the message he'd left on her voice mail. "Is she meeting us at the airport too?"  
Meg frowned, crossed between her desire to work with or at least meet Mac and the fact that Harm was pretty far gone on Mac, if every time he heard her rank it was automatically her. "No, not Mac, as far as I know." Keeter said, although he'd learned four years ago never to doubt her ability to do anything. "The girl's father is a colonel."  
"Oh!" Harm couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed. He was relieved that she hadn't misled him about her whereabouts, but having her along would have been nice. How long had the only 'colonel' in his life been Mac? Mentally shrugging, he asked, "So if he's the girl's father, is it really the smartest thing for him to be involved?"  
"You wanna tell a Marine colonel that?" Meg asked. "If it was the admiral or someone, I could see letting him come along." Even after all the years out of his command, he was still one of her favorite officers, one of the most capable in her eyes.  
"Well, he may do more harm than good, but as long as he stays out of the way and doesn't put the team in danger by doing something stupid, we can't really send him packing before the mission even gets undway."  
Meg nodded. "Yeah, but I don't really want to risk him putting the team in danger either." She knew there was nothing much she could do about it though. Even if she was out of the military loop now, she still had to obey the ranks. Besides, if someone she cared about was missing, believed killed, there would be nothing in the world that kept her from bringing them home. *****  
  
Mac looked out the window as Harm always did, feeling guilty. She should have tried harder to find him, but wasn't sure how he would react. She'd just gotten back to Washington only weeks ago and now she was going into danger this time, but she didn't have much choice. Liz...Well, even if she wasn't in love with John, part of her still loved him and his daughter. But would Harm understand that, especially after what had happened nearly five years ago with Chris? She pushed those thoughts away and smiled slightly at John as the plane landed. God he looked old; when had that happened? They got off the plane and looked around; he said that someone would meet them here.  
Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez stood as the passengers began to disembark from the plane. Stepping closer to the travlers, he looked for Colonel Farrow. He was certain he'd recognize him in civies, but it would have been easier if he could look for a uniform. Gunny froze in surprise as he did recognize someone. He certainly had not expected to see Colonel MacKenzie here. She looked like she was looking for someone. He realized suddenly that that someone was himself and that Colonel Farrow was with Mac. "Colonel Farrow. Colonel MacKenzie." He said as he closed the distance between them.  
Gunny. She should have known he'd be here; she'd left him in Paraguay with Clay. Somehow though she was filled with forboding, a sense of knowing something wasn't quite right. "Gunny." She tried to smile, although her worry had intensified. "John, this is Victor Galindez. He was the gunnery sergeant in JAG ops."  
John wasn't sure how to respond. He wasn't looking forward to anything but seeing his Lizzie again. "Nice to meet you, gunnery sergeant." He finally, slowly, said.  
Mac's mind was filled with a thousand questions, none of which she really wanted to ask in the airport. Besides, she knew John had to be somewhere between lost and impatient. She got her small duffel of civilian attire and pointed John's out to him. "Where can we talk?"  
Gunny took Mac's duffel and, seeing how preoccupied John seemed to be, grabbed his from the carousel. "There's a quiet cafe here in the airport, but to be honest with you, I don't really have any information for you. I just got in on this myself." It had been a long flight and he knew how the food was on airlines, but he personally couldn't even think of eating until they had found Liz. He knew her father was in even worse shape. "Or, if you'd rather, we could just talk in the car."  
"That's good." She hadn't eaten since the night before, but she wasn't hungry and John had declined anything to eat either. "The car sounds good. And you'll still have more information than either of us." Walking towards the car, she started the interrogation. "All we know is that she was reported missing, believed killed. I didn't even know she was down here."  
Gunny breathed a sigh of relief. At least John knew that much. He hadn't wanted to be the one to tell him the 'believed killed' part. In fact, he wasn't even sure he could say those words. He was praying she was still alive. "I really don't know much more than that except that there's a team being put together to find her. If she's here, we'll find her." They reached the car and he tossed the bags into the trunk.  
She nodded, glad of that. She'd witnessed Clay try to leave Gunny behind and wanted better than that for Lizzie. "Who's on the teams? Do you know any of them?" Part of her hoped that there would be some excellent agent or even another Marine that would take charge and just find her instantly, although she knew better. They would have to find Lizzie, but when they did, there was no doubt in Mac's mind that she would be alive. It was impossible to picture the younger woman otherwise; she had too much vitality inside of her for that.  
The evening was hot and humide so Gunny rolled his window down as he started the car. "Sorry. No ac in this piece of junk," he commented, indicating that the others should roll their windows down as well. "The only one I know personally is Agent Austin. I met her on an assigment some time back. She's an excellent agent and is heading this operation." He glanced over at Mac. "She said she was a JAG attorney a few years ago. Other than Meg, I don't know who the other team members are. She said there will be two of the best pilots around. She didn't say anything to me about you coming down here, Colonel."  
They rolled their windows down. "Yeah, she was Harm's partner, left about a month before I met him. It was short notice; I barely had time to tell the Admiral." She wondered if one of the pilots was Harm, but shrugged it off, thinking about Harm had long since become her favorite pasttime.  
Gunny drove in silence for a few minutes. He thought back to the last time he and Liz had been together. It seemed an eternity. She had to be alive! He looked in the rear view mirror at John. The man looked absolutely worried sick. "We'll find Lizzie alive, sir. She has too much heart and determination to give up. I...we won't stop looking until we find her and bring her home." Gunny would never give up. He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.  
John nodded, coming more alive since Lizzie was being mentioned. "She's too stubborn." She seemed to be more like Mac than himself, no matter what anyone said. "You've known my daughter long?"  
"We met in Afghanistan." Gunny began quietly. "Then we worked together in Paraguay. We became very close friends." Closer than he would admit to the woman's father. "I care very much for her, sir, and I intend to do all I can to find her."  
John nodded and Mac silently breathed a sigh of relief, glad that it seemed to satisfy John for now, a sure sign that he was still pretty lost. "So do I." John said, looking out the window.  
"How much did you know about the mission?" Mac asked, not sure how much he could tell them.  
Gunny thought for a long moment. He knew the basics of Lizzie's mission and it wasn't something a father would like to hear. "There was a report of suspected terrorist activity down here. Something that would cause major destruction in a couple of port cities in the states." He hesitated, trying to find the right words for the rest of it. "Lizzie insisted on going into one of the local dives as a barmaid. She wasn't given any backup," he added bitterly. When Gunny had found out, he had begged to be sent in as backup, but for some reason, his request was denied. Now that Liz had disappeared, he was itching to get his hands around Webb's neck. Mac silently cursed, thinking the same. Clay could have easily approved and he had to have known, he knew about her and Harm. She would make him pay when she returned to Washington, right now, the only thing that mattered to her was getting Lizzie back. She looked behind her and saw that John had that look in his eyes, the same one he'd had when he first told her. Years ago, she would have held his hand or found some way to comfort him, but there was no comfort for any of them. She wondered how deep Lizzie had gotten into trouble this time and remembered her as a teenager that always seemed to get into scrapes and then laugh off the consequences, dismissing them as trivial in the war to get her way. This was a much bigger war, with much harsher consequences, and she wondered what Lizzie had been thinking when she'd taken the mission, when she'd accepted the job at all.  
"I should have gone in anyway. I should have ignored my orders to stay out and gone in anyway. I'm sorry." Gunny's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. "She told me she'd be fine. You know her bravado. Then Webb gave me another assignment. I should have stood my ground." He pulled up outside the hotel and parked. "This is it. Meg should be waiting for us."  
John went ahead and Mac walked with her. "You did what you should have. I'm going to kill Webb this time. If it wasn't bad enough what he did to us, but now to Lizzie...he has all the power down here. He set her up." She paused. "John says it's happened before?"  
At the reminder, Gunny felt the anger consume him once again. "yeah. A few months ago. Webb just left her after she was captured. He tried to stop me, but I went in and got her out. I think I'm going to pound some Corps values into that man." The Marines had taught Gunny, and Mac as well, that no man ever gets left behind. Ever. You bring them back. "That's the first thing I'm going to do when we get Lizzie back. And if she's dead..." Gunny still blamed Webb for the loss of another woman he had loved. He had pleaded with the man to let him get her out before the bombing started.  
"Don't start. She's not dead. We just have to believe that. It would be like Chloe dying when she fell off Scout." He had been there for her then. "And you'll have to stand in line behind Harm. He still wants to kill Webb for letting me come before." *****  
Harm was surprised to see the door open and John come in. He had never expected to see him again and was saddened to see him now, knowing that if John was there... "It's Lizzie?"  
John nodded. "Yeah."  
He looked at Meg. "Meg, this is Lt Col John Farrow. Col, this is Meg Austin and Jack Keeter. We're gonna get Liz back for you." He nodded. The door opened and Mac stood there, in shock.  
Meg looked at Gunny. "Gunny. This is Jack Keeter and Commander Harm Rabb..."  
Harm broke out of his stupor. "I know who he is, Meg. He worked with us before." He returned to staring at Mac, unable to believe she was there.  
Gunny watched the exchange between Harm and Mac and couldn't help smiling. "I didn't know." He told them, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I honestly had no idea." He crossed the room and leaned in back in the corner to watch what happened next.  
"I left a message on your machine." They said simultaneously. They knew that the other had to come, that John and Meg had meant too much to them to say no, and for that reason alone, left the conversation at that.  
"You must be Meg. I'm glad to finally meet you. Bud and Harm have both told me a lot about you." Mac said, shaking hands with the blonde.  
Meg surveyed the woman that Harm loved and smiled. "You must be Mac. You don't know how much I've looked forward to meeting you."  
Mac smiled and then grinned at Keeter. "Hey, Keeter. Nice to see you again."  
"Still keeping Harm in line?"  
"Evidently not." Meg and Keeter both cracked a smile.  
Mac looked back at John. "Come on. Let's get set up." She knew he needed to at least lay down, even if she couldn't make him sleep. He followed her into another room.  
Meg looked at Gunny. "Is he okay?"  
"No, he's not. I hope it's not a mistake having him here." He sighed. "I'm hoping once we get organized and give him something to do, he'll be better. We've got to find her, ma'am. Soon." He was getting anxious to get started himself. "What's the plan?"  
"We need to have someone who hasn't been around here go to the bar."  
Keeter looked at her. "Why don't the four of us go? That is, if Mac can leave the Colonel."  
Mac rejoined them. "Go where?"  
"The bar where Lizzie disappeared." Harm said.  
Mac looked at Gunny. "Can you stay with him?" She knew what she was asking, but if he didn't stay, she wouldn't leave John alone.  
Gunny frowned. Stay here? And do what? Pace? "You want me to stay here? You think I can sit back and do nothing?" He objected without thinking it through. "I suppose if you're going to the bar, I can't go." Some local might recognize him and put the others in danger. "Isn't there something we can do?" Victor was a man of action and he figured John was too. John wasn't going to be happy with being left behind either. He ran a hand through his short hair. "I'll stay. I guess it's all I can do." he was not happy about having to do as he was asked, but he couldn't think of any other solution to the problem.  
"It is." Meg reassured him. "If someone spots you, she could be in even more danger. None of us knows who has her; the only way to do this is to start at the beginning."  
Mac frowned. "Harm, you go with them. I'll stay here too." Three would be just as good as four and she had the feeling that maybe she could do more good being company for Gunny and John than she could with them.  
"Mac..." Harm started to protest.  
"I was here a few months ago, as a pregnant woman. I'd be risking as much as Gunny."  
Meg nodded. "The rest of us better go change then." She and Keeter left the room.  
"I don't like it."  
"Harm, you know I'm right. Besides, what if we didn't get everyone who was involved? What if someone else knows about the mission and that puts Lizzie in even more danger? I need to stay here and you need to go." He nodded and went to change as well.  
"Why did you do that?" Gunny asked Mac once they were alone. "You're right that you could be recognized, but I think that's a very remote possibilty. You look very different without that belly. You could have gone." He really would have felt better knowing a fellow Marine was with the others, but he supposed she was right. Even a remote possibility of recognition could put Liz in more danger.  
"Maybe I owe John; maybe I don't." It was never clear after they were cleared. "But Lizzie...his wife died when she was a baby and then...Lizzie's all he had left. I don't like the idea of him being here, but since I couldn't talk him out of that, I'm not leaving him either. Harm sees me every day; he hasn't seen Meg in seven years or Keeter in four. And you."  
Victor nodded, understanding her reasoning. "Well, I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep. All I can think about is getting Lizzie back safely. I feel like I should be doing something, but I can't figure out what. This waiting is hell."  
"Meg's right. We need to get this information first. Besides, there's some questions I have to ask." Harm, Meg, and Keeter came out. "Much better than what you wore the first time we were undercover."  
Harm smiled. "You're sure you wanna stay here?"  
"I'm sure. There will be plenty of things we can do to help later." Keeter and Harm left.  
"I'll keep him out of trouble."  
Mac smiled. "That's a full-time job. You know what she looks like?"  
Meg nodded. "Yeah, I met her once in Afghanistan. Everything will be okay." Mac nodded and watched them leave. 


	4. The Mission

Mac came back into the room. "He managed to bring family photos." She said, flipping through them, although she'd seen many of them before. "I have some questions I wanna ask."  
Gunny sat down on the bed beside Mac. He was curious about the photos, but at the same time, dreaded seeing pictures of the woman he loved when he had no idea where she was or whether she was dead or alive. "You don't mind if I look at them too, do you?"  
She smiled at him. "Of course not." She handed him the pictures she'd looked at; the one on the top was one of her and Liz and another Marine at one of John's famous barbecues that he had for his men on holidays, when they had time off, but not enough to visit family. "You know, I knew her when she was a teenager?" She smiled. "She was always getting into trouble and then sliding out with a wink and a smile. Most of the time, I thought John was going to skin her alive." But there had always been the 'Daddy's girl' in Liz that had gotten her out of trouble. As she looked at the picture, she couldn't help but think about the others in the group back then. Most had died in one battle or another, another had been killed in a car wreck, and another had died of cancer. The only ones left any more were her, John, and Lizzie.  
Gunny swallowed hard, fighting the lump in his throat as he looked at the smiling teen in the picture, so full of life. In a way, he was glad he hadn't known her then. He was quite a rebel rouser himself at that age and he probably would have been killed by the Colonel. "She still has a knack of getting herself out of trouble. I just hope she gets out with a wink and smile this time." He said quietly, his voice rough.  
"She'll be fine. She has to be." She passed another picture over. "I have a confession to make." She paused again. "I'm not here as a Marine. John...well, it was a long time ago, but Liz and Chloe are probably the closest to daughters I'll ever have." She thought that if she confided in him, he would confide in her, and it wouldn't hurt him as much. Besides, everyone in the office already knew about her and John; it couldn't hurt for him to know the truth too.  
"From what I see, you and the Colonel are pretty close too. I've worked with Lizzie and know her pretty well." He shifted a little on the bed, a little uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking. He wondered just how close the two colonels were, but he knew that Colonel MacKenzie would never violate the regulations as he and Liz were.  
"We were." She paused. "It's part of the reason I didn't actually track Harm down to tell him. It's hard on him, hard on everyone. They've forgiven, but it's not been forgotten." She knew he needed to hear it, especially if she was right in thinking that Gunny and Liz's gunnery sergeant were one and the same.  
"I'm not sure I understand, ma'am." She couldn't be telling him that she and Colonel Farrow had violated the regulations by fraternizing.  
"Five years ago, a year before you arrived, JAG, especially Harm and the Admiral, discovered that I broke one of the cardinal rules in the Marine corps."  
"You...and Colonel Farrow?" Gunny didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up, went to the window, and peered outside at the night. "I had no idea. They found out? What happened then?"  
"Well, six years had passed, so they let it be officially. Of course, it took awhile for the Admiral to trust me again and Harm still hasn't forgotten about it." It had been a little too obvious in Harm's eyes when he'd realized she was there.  
'Damn, she was lucky', Gunny thought. His biggest fear was getting discovered and he didn't think it would take six years. He sighed. Sometimes things really felt hopeless. He turned to face Mac. "When you and the Colonel are together, did you ever think about resigning your commission?" He had been thinking about taking an early out in order to bring his relationship with Liz out in the open. "It's hard...must have been hard to have to keep looking over your shoulder."  
"It wasn't that serious with us. I really...I love John, don't get me wrong, but if I had it to do all over again, I don't think I would." She paused. "Liz is different though. This gunnery sergeant she wrote John about...if she's broken her rule against fraternization, it must be her love of a lifetime." Or her Harm.  
Gunny sucked in a deep breath. "She wrote about a gunnery sergeant?" He whispered. "Ma'am...I don't know what to say." Colonel MacKenzie was a superior officer. Regardless of her own previous violation, she might feel bound to report whatever he told her. He paced the length of the room. "Do you know what she wrote about?"  
"Just that she met a gunnery sergeant in Afghanistan, she ended up in Paraguay with him." She saw his face. "Gunny, the only ones who know and who are ever going to know are John and me. She's been through a lot of hell in her life and she deserves some happiness now. Why would anyone try to take that away from her?"  
"Would it make her happy to lose her career? Am I worth that to her?" Gunny was surprised at how relieved he felt. Now he had someone to talk to about it without fear of repercussions. "I really have been thinking about taking an early out, but I haven't mentioned it to her yet. I don't think she would go for it. I don't know what else to do. I'm so tired of having to sneak around. We never get to see enough of each other." He snapped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to unload all of this on Mac. Besides, at this point there were more important things to worry about. If they didn't get Liz back alive, there was no sense in even continuing this conversation.  
"When her father and I were found out, she told herself that she would never set herself up for that, not unless she really loved the guy. You're worth her career. And you're right, you quit and she would have a cow. I'm not even sure Liz ever wanted to be a Marine. Sometimes I think it's just what John groomed her to be since she was born. She thought that was the only option for her, never thought about going against his wishes. Sometimes, I think she just wants to be normal."  
"I don't think she'll ever be normal to me." Gunny smiled, his eyes shining with his love for Liz. "Even if she really didn't want to be a Marine, she still doesn't need a courtmartial."  
"I didn't mean normal like that. I mean...she only got about three years to be a kid and a teenager. Before that, John moved once a year and when she was eighteen, she joined the corps. I know she doesn't need a courtmartial, but I think, whatever you do, you should talk to her about it first."  
He nodded his head. "I know. We've agreed to always be honest with each other. She's never mentioned resigning her commission, so I figured being a Marine was very important to her. I'll never ask her to resign. I guess she feels the same way about me. I'm a Marine. It's who I am and I love it. She knows that and will never ask me to retire. But Liz is more important than anything to me. Even more important than being a Marine." He grinned. "You know, to be honest, I'm a little scared to mention it to her. I'd get a size five combat boot in the six."  
Mac smiled. "You would. Last time we sparred together, she almost beat me. That's something even Harm can't do."  
"She's tough, all right. She's not a quitter." He checked his watch. With every minute that passed, he could feel her sliping further away. "She's waiting for us to find her. I know she is."  
"You're right. She is. Probably cursing whoever has her while she's at it." She smiled slightly before Harm came in, slamming the door behind him. Keeter came in next and then Meg. "Whoa. What happened?" Mac asked, worried.  
"Ask the lovebirds." He said, crossing his arms, giving out the vibe she knew meant he was furious.  
"You're just mad cause Mac wasn't there for you to do it too." Keeter retorted and Meg stepped in the middle of them. Gunny hid a snicker behind a head as he retreated to his corner again. He had a good idea what might have happened. As anxious as he was to hear what the others had found out, he knew he had to bide his time while the present scenario played out.  
"What are you talking about?" Mac asked.  
"They were kissing." Harm protested as Keeter looked like the cat that ate the canary.  
"My God, Harm." She rubbed her forehead. "Both of you straighten up or I'll arrange for you to fly home, together, right now. You're acting Tiner's age!" She looked at Meg. "Did you find out anything?"  
"Yeah. We've got a pretty good lead on where she is."  
"Thank God."  
His heart pounding, Gunny pushed away from the wall. "Well, what did you find out? Where is she?"  
"Casa Diablo. The ranch outside town."  
Gunny headed for the door. "I know where that is. Let's go."  
"Don't you think we should have a game plan first? You run in there like a chicken with his head cut off, you're gonna get her killed." Keeter said sternly, forgetting Harm for a few seconds. "I'll go get John. He needs to be in on this too." Mac disappeared and then reappeared with the colonel, rested and back on fire.  
Gunny scowled at Keeter and began to pace impatiently. He knew the man was right. "Well, let's make it quick. The longer we take about getting her out of there, the less chance we have of getting her out alive." He told them what he knew about the ranch. Where it was located, the terrain around it, and that it was heavily guarded. "They don't call it the devil's house for nothing."  
"Harm, Keeter, I want you two to get a helicopter. There'll be a signal. When you see it, I want you to blow those missles." Meg said.  
"How do you suggest we get a helicopter?"  
"Like you usually do, Harm. Steal one." Mac retorted, going through the weapons until she found one she was most comfortable with.  
"Let's get out there."  
Meg nodded. "Gunny, go in from the east, Colonel, from the west, Mac, from the south, and I'll go from the north."  
"How are we gonna get her outta there? I mean, if she was all right, she'd be out herself." Mac observed.  
"Okay, after you guys take care of the arms sheds, there's an empty field near enough to benefit, but far enough to avoid gunshots. Land there." Keeter nodded. *****  
  
Mac sat in the back with Gunny while Meg drove and John rode shotgun. "If anything happens and you two find Lizzie first, don't worry about us, just get her the hell outta there." She told him too quietly to be overheard by anyone but him. She knew that the Marine code of conduct said otherwise, but she would be all right, as long as she knew Lizzie and John were.  
Gunny frowned. It went against the Corps core values as well as his own to leave anybody behind. "Lizzie wouldn't go for that and you know it. We'll get her to the helicopter and then I'll come back." Even that was a compromise to his values, but he had to get Lizzie out. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her.  
"No. I've seen too many friends die. I'll make it an order if I have to, but I want John and Lizzie out. She wouldn't go without you and you know it. You remember after we left Lylyana? You told me that it was the best thing, the only thing, we could do at the time."  
"I did." It had bothered him ever since. He wasn't sure if he could leave anyone behind without wondering if he could have possibly gotten them out. "Lizzie probably won't go at all, with or without me, if she finds out you're in there somewhere." If he didn't tell her about Mac being there until it was too late, Lizzie'd make his life even more miserable than if he had just had to worry about having left her. Still, if the Colonel did make it an order, there was nothing he could do but obey.  
"We're arguing about something that might not even happen. But if it does, Lizzie, John, and I are the only ones from our group that are still alive. I need to know that they're safe and taken care of. If worse comes to worse, you can trade places on the helo with Harm."  
Gunny sighed. "If I can't come back for you, I'll trade places with the Commander. He'll get you out." Rabb was a good man, for a sailor. In Gunny's opinion, he would have made a good Marine and you couldn't say that about many squids. "Bottom line, we get Lizzie out of there."  
"Exactly." Meg pulled up close to the perimeter, but far enough away so that she wouldn't be spotted.  
For the three Marines and Meg, the guards were easy to take out, a few fancy moves and they were down. John waited for Gunny so they could have backup, just as Meg and Mac did on the other side of the compound. Gunny slipped up next to John and nodded. So far, so good. The compound was still quiet, their presence apparently unnoticed. He waited for the signal to proceed. As they entered the compound, they heard a scream of pain, sounding so tortured that John himself hurt. He remembered that sound well, from his days in Vietnam, from the day that his wife had died, and knew instinctively who had made it. Seeing the fear on the Colonel's face and feeling it set his own heart pounding. Gunny put a hand on the older man's shoulder. The act helped to steady his own hand but did nothing to stop his stomach from churning. The sound died and there was quiet, eerie, still, thick silence that weighed heavily. Finally, although it took mere seconds, explosions started on the other side of the compound. Hispanic voices clammered and soon there were only three people inside the house: the two male Marines and their Lizzie. It was all Gunny could do to hold himself back and allow John to go to his daughter. His knees felt a little weak at the sight of an alive Lizzie. Her father obstructed his view so he really didn't know just what her condition was. He wanted to go to her, but he wasn't ready for John to know about their relationship. "How is she?" He asked quietly.  
"Alive. We've got to get her out of here." He was reluctant to move her though. Her body was twisted, beaten, and broken so bad that he knew just touching her would cause more pain, maybe even damage her further. He saw a board nearby, cleaner than the rest of the room, and instinctively took his outer shirt off, leaving him in a t-shirt, but putting the outer shirt on the board as some sort of protection for her. "Carry the end of this." It was a crude carry, but it was the best he could think of. Now that Lizzie needed him and he could help her, John was much more awake, back to normal, concerned for his daughter, but every inch a Marine colonel.  
Gunny did as he was asked and, between the two of them, they managed to get Lizzie onto the board without causing her any further damage. Gunny's eyes filled as he examined her bruised face. He took his jacket off and covered her to ward off shock. "I'm going to kill him," he said quietly, a dangerous tone in his voice. "Webb is a dead man."  
"Take a number." John said, using one of Lizzie's favorite phrases. They carried her to the helicopter, where Harm and Keeter were waiting, but there was no sign of Meg or of Mac.  
Keeter got out to help them put Lizzie in, glad that they'd stolen a helicopter with plenty of room in the back. Harm turned around and looked at Lizzie. He might have had his issues with John, but Lizzie was what he pictured Mac as at her age. "Where are the girls?" Keeter finally asked Gunny.  
"We haven't seen them since right before we entered the compound. I told Colonel MacKenzi that if we didn't all make it back to the helicopter, I would go back. She told me to go with Lizzie and Colonel Farrow and to ask you to go back, Commander Rabb. I'll go with you, sir, if that's what you want." Gunny was torn between going with Lizzie and getting Mac and Meg out. He hated to go against Mac's wishes, but she hadn't actually made it an order. He would do what the Commander wanted him to do.  
Harm looked at him and then at Lizzie, suddenly figuring out what Mac had earlier. "You stay with Lizzie. I'll go find the girls." Harm said, getting out of the helicopter.  
"What if you need backup?" Keeter asked.  
"Just get them the hell out of here. I'll take care of Meg, I promise." Keeter nodded and went back to the pilot's seat as Harm started back down to the compound. He couldn't very well ask Gunny to leave Lizzie; he wouldn't have left Mac.  
Gunny climbed into the helicopter and took a seat next to Lizzie. John sat on her other side, holding her hand and speaking to her softly. Gunny brushed the hair out of her eyes. At this point, he didn't really care who noticed his tender expression. He doubted the Colonel would notice he was there at all. He took her hand and willed her the strength to keep fighting. John noticed, but he didn't say a word. Who was he to judge who was right or wrong for a person? He was still hung up on a woman who had long since fallen in love with someone else. Besides, the only thing that had ever mattered to him was that Lizzie was happy. Her moving here was not the gunnery sergeant's fault and, as easy as it was to hate him right now, it wasn't Webb's either. One of the things he loved most about his daughter was her stubborness, her inability to sit back and do nothing when people were hurting, even if it cost her everything. Torn between staying to fight with Harm for the women they loved and saving the woman that the two Marines loved, Keeter began the flight to Asuncion, the Centro Medico Bautista. 


	5. Conclusion

Keeter, John, and Gunny sat outside in the waiting area when someone kissed Keeter on the top of the head. He turned around and, smiling, hugged Meg closely. Harm and Mac were nearby, Mac's arm in a makeshift sling, and she sat down beside John, Harm behind her, both hands on the back of her chair. "Anything?"  
John shook his head. "Not a damned thing." Gunny felt some of the weight lift now that all were present and accounted for. The mission was a success and, except for Mac's arm, everyone had gotten out without a scratch. It seemed like hours since they had brought Lizzie in. She must still be alive or they would have been told. He got up and began to pace the length of the room. Remembering a prayer that his mother had taught him, he began to whisper the comforting words in Spanish.  
"Lizzie Farrow?"  
"Si." Meg said, bringing everyone's attention to the doctor.  
"It's okay, ma'am. I speak English." Mac silently gave thanks and added an additional note that Spanish would be the next language she learned. "Ms. Farrow was very lucky. Despite her condition, she only has a slight infection. She'll have to stay until her fever drops before moving back to the States."  
"What's her condition?" Mac asked.  
"Numerous broken bones, some damage to her back."  
"Can we see her?" John asked.  
The doctor nodded. "Keep it quiet, one at a time."  
He left and Harm put his hand on Mac's well arm. "We'll go get some coffee. Do you want me to bring you some?" She nodded and he, Meg, and Keeter left.  
John looked at Victor. "Can I go first? That way you can talk to her while I make the arrangements." Mac tried to hide her surprise that he knew and thanks that he wasn't causing more of a fuss, refusing to let anyone near her, demanding she be sent home before she was ready...He could be a bear when he wanted something badly enough.  
"Of course, sir." Gunny replied, surprised that the colonel had asked. In fact, he was surprised that John even acknowledged his presence, much less given his consent for Gunny to see Lizzie. He knew John probably resented him for failing his daughter by not backing her up at the bar. Added to that was the fact that the older man now knew that there was more than a working relationship between the Marine and Lizzie. Gunny sunk down into a chair and rested his chin in his hands. It had been a long day and he was beginning to feel it.  
John went inside Lizzie's room and Mac moved over to where Gunny was sitting. "Do me a favor?" She didn't wait for a response. "Do something. I don't care what it is. For some reason, a miracle happened and you got a second chance. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Don't blow your second chance like I did, all right? You're both good people; you both deserve to be happy." She realized that as a Marine she was overstepping boundaries, but she couldn't stand for him to do what she and Harm had done.  
"I would love to, Colonel, but what can I do?" He raised his head and turned toward her. "We already agreed what she'd do to me if I took an early out. And I can't ask her to resign." He sighed. "I don't see a solution other than one of us leaving the Marines."  
"You'll think of something, I'm sure." She paused. "John's going to have her moved to Bethesda. What will happen then?"  
Gunny groaned. "I don't know. I guess I stay away and just call her every now and then. I don't know how I can do that, though. I'll probably also hav to face her father, too. Sometimes I just wish we could just pack up and go to another country. Change our names and start all over."  
"You know, I know John pretty well...I don't think he blames you. He blames himself and he blames Webb. I think the only person that blames you is you...and that's not going to help anything. Believe me, I know." She still blamed herself for Harm's crash two years before, coming back for her wedding.  
"What's he going to say about us? Me and Lizzie?" He realized that John had done the same thing with mac, but he had very nearly been courtmartialed over it and Gunny was sure the Colonel didn't want to see his daughter go through the same thing. "I have a feeling he won't be too happy about me putting her career at risk."  
"All he wants is for her to be happy. With what she's facing now, her career is the least of her worries."  
Gunny nodded. "You're right. Let's just concentrate on helping her get back on her feet. I'll be there for her." Even if it meant blatently violating the UCMJ. "How's your arm? What happened back there?"  
"A certain commander shot me."  
"Hey, I was aiming at the other guy. You just got in the way." Harm teased, bringing her back her coffee.  
"This will be a great one to tell little A.J. How'd Aunt Sarah get shot? Well, Uncle Harm's gotta bad aim." Meg stifled laughter as Keeter guffawed. "You, flyboy, would NEVER make it as a Marine." Mac teased him. Harm bit back a comment as John came out.  
"She says hi."  
Mac smiled. "Did you tell her I'd see her before we left?" John nodded and sat.  
Gunny looked toward Mac, silently asking if it was okay if he went in next. She nodded and he rose and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Lizzie had been cleaned up and now he could see the bruises standing out in stark contrast to her pale face. Her eyes were closed, and not knowing if she was sleeping or merely resting, he approached the bed quietly. He took her hand. "Lizzie. I thought I'd lost you," he said in a choked whisper.  
She opened her eyes and slightly moved over, wincing, but wanting him beside her. She squeezed his hand slightly. "It's okay." She absorbed him standing there, the tears in the corner and rims of his eyes, and couldn't bring herself to realize that he wasn't an illusion, one that had come to her so many times while she'd been hurt. As long as he had been there, it had seemed a little better. The pain had still been there, but she wasn't afraid.  
"Yeah, everything's okay now. I'm not leaving your side no matter what problems we are bound to encounter." He wanted to beg her to resign and find something safe to do, like being a librarian or selling real estate. He ran a finger gently down her face, careful to avoid the bruises and scrapes. "Lizzie, do you really like this work? I worry myself sick every time you're out of my sight." He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Each time was worse. He was almost a basket case this time. If it weren't for being able to talk about it with Mac, he wasn't sure what kind of rash action he would have taken.  
"I don't know. I like helping people, but...I'm not coming back to Paraguay. I'm getting the hell away from Webb before he kills us both." Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.  
"There are other ways to help people. I know you'll find something you love that will be safer. Don't librarians help people?" He grinned. That took care of his number one worry: her safety. She wouldn't be working with Webb anymore. The next problem was the UCMJ regulations they were violating. Now was not the right time to mention that he was seriously considering retirement. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on her forehead. "I love you, babe. Rest now. I'll be right here or right outside your door."  
"Stay." She was afraid that if she closed her eyes, he would be gone again. That was another reason why she was moving back to the states; she wanted him safe and as much with her as they could be.  
Gunny pulled a chair closer to the bed. Sitting down, he took her hand again. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Mac would just have to wait. He had a feeling she would understand. "Are you comfortable? Can I do anything?"  
"Just stay." It didn't make her comfortable, but it did help.  
"I'm not going anywhere." He thought back to all the times he had done this. He hoped and prayed this time would be the last. "It's going to be a long trip home, so get some sleep. I'll be right here." She nodded, her eyelids already dropping as if they were too heavy for her to lift. She knew it would be hard, she would have to take time off to get better, she would have to figure out something to do when she did get better, and she would have to figure out what to do about Victor and her dad, but right now, all that mattered as the drugs finally kicked in was that he was here, beside her, and they were both going home. 


End file.
